Watering trough for livestock



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A. R. CUNNINGHAM WATERING TROUGH FOR LIVESTOCK l 'l. llllllllllll In Filed March 11, 1947 June 27, 1950 June 27, 1950 A. R. CUNNINGHAM WATERING TROUGH FOR LIVESTOCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 11, 1947 Patented June 27, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATERING TROUGH FOR LIVESTOCK I v Arthur Raymond Cunningham, Detroit, Mich.

' Application March 11, 1947, Serial No. 733,904-

7 Claims.

This invention relates generally to watering containers and refers more particularly to improvements in the types of troughs ordinarily used in rural localities to water livestock.

It is customary in rural districts or in any locality where livestock is kept to provide troughs or tanks containing a supply of water; In regions subject to temperatures-below the freezing point of water, it is of course, necessary to remove the ice formed in the tank prior to watering the stock. This chore not only requires considerable time and effort, but is extremely hard on the tanks or troughs, especially in cases where the latter are formed of sheet metal. The implements used to break the ice preparatory to removing the latter frequently pierce the tank 01' trough and necessitate replacement of the latter at considerable expense. With the above in view, it is one Of the objects of this invention to provide a container or trough which will swing automatically to a tipped position in response to expansion of the volume of water therein resulting from'freezing of the water. The shape of the trough is such that when the latter is tipped from its normal upright position, the frozen water or block of ice readily falls out of the trough.

Another feature of this invention is to provide a trough pivoted adjacent one edge portion to a standard in such a manner that the axis of swinging movement of the trough is located below the center of gravity of the trough so that the weight of the water tends to swing the trough to a tipped position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a trough constructed to elongate in response to the expansion of the volume of water therein resulting from freezing of the water, and normally held in its upright position relative to the standard by latch means releasable in response to elongation of the trough. I

The foregoing as well as other objects will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especiallywhen considered 'in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view partly in section of a watering trough assembl embodying the features of this invention; v

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the assembly shown.

Figures. 3, 4 and are respectively sectional views taken on the planes indicated bythe lines 3--3, 4 -4 and 5 -5of Figure 1;

Figure 6 isan enlargedfragmentary perspective view of a part .of the assembly. shown in Figure 1'; and .1

Figure 7 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a U-shaped retainer supporting a tubular frame member.

The several figuresof the drawings illustrate.-

a watering trough assembly comprising a stand ard l0 and a container or trough ll adapted tohold a quantity of water. The standard In com prises end sections I2 secured in spaced relation M of each end section I2 are braced by a substantially X-shaped frame section I! having the opposite ends welded or otherwise permanently secured to the upright frame members.

The trough or container I I is arcuate in crosssection and the end walls l8 are tapered outwardly from the bottom of the trough in the manner indicated in. Figure .1 .of the drawings.

The marginal edge portions of the trough or container are reinforced by a tubular frame l9 hav-. ing longitudinally extending tubular members 20 and 2| at opposite sides of the trough and secured together in lateral spacedrelationship by transverse tubular members 22.- The tubular mem bers 22 respectively extend along opposite endsof the trough and are welded or otherwise permanently secured to the top edges of the end walls l8. The ends of the tubular members 22 adja-' cent the tubular member 2| are secured to tubular coupling 23 adapted to be sleeved on the tubular member 2|.

are welded or otherwise respectively secured to a pair of sleeves 24 and 25. The sleeves 24 and 25 are respectively'sleeved on opposite ends of the tubular member 26 in the manner clearly' shown in "Figure 1 of the drawings.

' In the present instance the bottom and side" Walls of the trough or container II are formed.

from a single piece of sheet 'metal 26 arcuate in cross section and having the opposite ends welded, brazed or otherwisesecured to the end walls Ill. The opposite longitudinal edge portions of the arcuate sheet metal section 26 are respectively looped aroundthe tubular frame mem hers 20 and 2| in. the'mann'e'rlndicated by the numeral 21 in Figure 40f the drawings.

The trough or container II is pivotally supported on the standard, I O'for swinging movement- The opposite ends of the tubular members 22 adjacent the tubular member 2a about a horizontal axis located adjacent to the tubular member 2I and positioned below the center of gravity of the container so that the latter is normally urged from its full line position shown in Figure 2 of the drawings to the broken line position shown in the same figure. In detail a pair of plates 28 are respectively welded or otherwise permanently secured to the end frame members 22 between the: longitudinal centerline of. the trough or container II-E and the tubular frame member 2|. Upon reference to Figure 2 of the drawings, it will be noted that the plates 28 eX- tend downwardly from the end frame members 22 to a point adjacent the bottom"of the' troughf or container and are pivoted tosthe-dowenendsr lar frame member 2I extend beyond the-corre sporiding end'sof'th'e trough or container I I=and area'dapted' to=rest in Uf-sha'ped retainers 3'I carried by the-adjacent" ends of the-frame-bars'- I6. I The retainers 31 act as stop'sto locate-the trough in its upright position and permit unobstructed swinging movement of the trough or container I I l to its tipped-positionshown the broken lines in Figur' 2I- The container or trough H normally held in its upright position by -relea'sabldlatch" means comprising ajpairof d'ogs 3'2 and-3'3'respectively' positioned at' oppositeends of -the tubular frame member'20: In detail a shaft {I'M-extends axiallyt1'i 1ough the tubular member Zlan'd projects beyond opposite ends of the latter. The" dog 321$ slid'ably but no'r 1'=rotatably secured to the shaft adjacent the outer endof*tlie sleeve 24 bya key: 35} andthefree end oi the dog isprQVided' with a button 3'6 'at theinner side-thereof for en'- gagrne'nt with the top surface off the adj acent" ings,1i't-iwill 1158i notedzthat the (102132 BX'ITGIIGS OIIIJ- wardly'fromitheshaft 33, ahdithatthe'sbutton 36" at the swinging'e'nd'of the d'og'a engages thea'd jace'nt: frame" memben I3: outwardly-P beyond the shaft" 34. The dog? 33-? extends? inwardly fromv thezshaft 34, andthetbutton 4| "on thei.-swinging end: thereof engag'es' the: adjacent framei memberl 6 at a: pointuspaced f inwardly from J the shaft It will further bei noted: from Figure 1 of the drawings that the: edge of: the frame member? I 6 adjacent thefdog 3.3: is :cut away. toiformi a;slot 42? of. sufficientdifnension'tor provide clearance for the button d-lz. Howeverithee'length of the s'lOlTiSf predeterminedisoithat whenithe dog 33 is in its latchedpositiomthebutttn:41 has= a bearing 'en- 4 gagement with the frame member I6. It follows from the foregoing that the latching dogs are relatively positioned to enable swinging movement of the dog 32 downwardly and the dog 33 upwardly. However, under normal conditions, the spring is prevented from swinging the dogs by engagement of the button 36 on the dog 32 with the adjacent frame member I6.

The-v latching. dog 32 is releasedsfrom engagement' with the: adjacent frame mem'ber I6 or standard in response to elongation of the trough or container II. In order to permit elongation ofthe trough or container II, the sheet metal section Z G iS- cOrr-ugated to form a multiplicity of corrugations 43c extending from one longitudinal edge ofth'e'trough to the opposite longitudinal edjgeii:portion;Qv Assuming now that the trough is filled with water and that the water freezes, the resulting expansion of the volume of water in 'the trough elongates the-"trough. As the length of the-trough increased, the end walls I8 'are, of course, movedoutwardly, and-since'the sleeves 24 and 25 are-carried by the end walls, it follows that these sleeves are corresponding-ly moved rel ativ'eto the fr'ame member zIli- Outward displ-acement of the sle'eve 24 im-parts'amovement to the latching dog 32 1 against the action of the spring- 31- and disengages the button'tfi from the ad to swing: toits tipped position: byfthe" force of gravity; When in :this: tipped :tposition, the-contents of': the trough F or container drop: out ,of" the latter by: the:actionw-ofigravityg; and thewcontainer may bereturned to; its: upright position; Thecontainer is latched-i in; itscupright: position bye swinging the latching dog-:32 upwardly and out? 'wardlyto enable the; button- 3:6 to pass the" ads jacent frame member I61" The? dog, 32- is, then releasedto permitithe spring 311170 returnthe dog: to a positionwhe-rein the button engagesthea topsurface. of the, adjacent-frame member I6. I It. will, .of.co1urse, .beunderstood that asthe dog I. 32'is manipulated to returnthe samelto, its latched position the buttonAI on thel-dog. 33vmoves upt-- wardly through the slot 42han'd,isfreturnedinto engagement with the top surface oflthe adjacent frame member I6 ata point spaced inwardly, from the slot. 111 this connectionitwill be noted that clearance is provided to enable movement of' thebutton 4 I through the slot 42 b'y' forming a fiat 45 on one side of :the button 41;

It followsifrom:thef foregoing that :I have provided a relatively simple-and inexpensive- Wateringtrough which will automatically swing to-a tilted. position intresponse to; elongation, of the trough occasioned by freezing the water in the trough. It will further, be noted, thatthetrough,

is of such construction that the ,.ice,is d1iopped by the action of: gravity, when the, trough is,

ting swinging movement of the trough to a tipped position relative to the standard, cooperating engaging latch means carried by the standard and trough for normally holding the trough in an upright position on the standard, and means operable upon elongation of the trough to release the latch means and permit swinging movement of the trough to its tipped position.

2. A tank for use in Watering livestock, comprising a stand-ard, an elongated trough having transverse corrugations permitting elongation of the trough in response to expansion of the water therein, means pivotally connecting the trough adjacent one longitudinal edge and below the center of gravity thereof to the standard whereby the trough is normally urged by the action of gravity to a tipped position relative to the standard, and latch means at the longitudinal edge portion of the trough opposite the longitudinal edge aforesaid of the trough cooperating with adjacent parts of the standard to hold the trough in its upright position and releasable from the standard in response to elongation of the trough.

3. A tank for use in watering livestock, comprising a standard, an elongated trough having transverse corrugations permitting elongation of the trough in response to expansion of the water therein and having outwardly tapered end walls, means pivotally connecting the trough adjacent one longitudinal edge and below the center of gravity thereof to the standard whereby the trough is normally urged by the action of gravity to a tipped position relative to the standard, and latch elements at opposite ends of the trough adjacent the longitudinal edge of the trough opposite the edge aforesaid thereof for engagement with adjacent parts of the standard to hold the trough in an upright position and releasable from the standard in response to elongation of the trough.

4. A tank for use in watering livestock, comprising a standard, a container for water adapted to elongate in response to expansion of the volume of water therein and normally supported in an upright position on the standard, means pivotally connecting the container adjacent one edge thereof and below the center of gravity of the same to the standard whereby the container is normally urged by the action of gravity to a tipped position, and latch elements carried by the container at opposite ends of the edge of the container opposite the edge aforesaid for engagement with adjacent parts of the standard to hold the container in an upright position and releasable from the standard in response to elongation of the container.

5. A tank for use in watering livestock, comprising a standard, a container for water adapted to elongate in response to expansion of the volume of water therein and normally supported in an upright position on the standard, means pivotally connecting the container adjacent one edge thereof and below the center of gravity of the same to the standard whereby the container is normally urged by the action of gravity to a tipped position, latching dogs respectively pivotally supported on the container at opposite ends of the edge of the container opposite the edge aforesaid thereof and having means at the swinging ends thereof engageable with adjacent parts of the standard to hold the container in an upright position, said means being releasable from the standard in response to elongation of the container.

6. A tank for use in watering livestock, comprising a standard, an elongated trough having transverse corrugations permitting elongation of the trough in response to expansion of the water therein and having outwardly tapered end walls, means pivotally connecting the trough adjacent one longitudinal edge and below the center of gravity thereof to the standard whereby the trough is normally urged by the action of gravity to a tipped position relative to the standard, latching dogs respectively pivotally supported on the trough at opposite ends of the longitudinal edge of the trough opposite the edge aforesaid and having means at the swinging ends thereof engageable with adjacent parts of the standard to hold the container in an upright position, said means being releasable from the standard in response to elongation of the container, and means operatively connecting the latching dogs.

'7. A tank for use in watering livestock, comprising a standard, a container for water supported on the standard in an upright position and adapted to elongate under certain conditions, means pivotally connecting the container below the center of gravity to the standard whereby the container is normally urged by the action of gravity to a tipped position, cooperating engaging latch means carried by the standard and container for holding the container in its upright position, and means operable upon elongation of the container to release said latch means and permit movement of the container to its tipped position.

ARTHUR RAYMOND CUNNINGHAM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 689,735 Mehan Dec. 24, 1901 1,594,290 Woessner et al. July 27, 1926 1,666.791 Rassmann Apr. 17, 1928 

